"Fu Hua, since you're here, why don't you come in?"
After knocking out the Anti-Entropy guards outside, Fu Hua arrived at the presidential suite of Walter II and Dr. Makki. She was about to knock on the door, pretending to be one of the guards, when she suddenly heard a voice from within—a voice both intimately familiar yet strangely foreign. The moment she heard it, her raised right hand froze mid-air.
A long moment passed before Fu Hua took a deep breath, then pushed the door open and walked in. Upon seeing the familiar figure seated on the sofa, her expression darkened instantly. That figure was a stunning young woman with long green hair, wearing a gentle smile on her face. But for Fu Hua, this individual's presence made her tense, as if facing a dangerous foe.
"Fu Hua, it's been so long since we last met, and it looks like things aren't going too well for you," the person on the sofa said, laughing softly and waving at Fu Hua.
"Dr. Mebius…"
After a brief, silent pause, Fu Hua's expression finally regained a measure of composure.
"Fu Hua, my old friend—after all this time, didn't you miss me? Look at you, still standing there. Have a seat."
Mebius, the green-haired young woman, smiled and gestured to a nearby sofa.
"Mebius."
When Fu Hua encountered Mebius, Otto—who was at Schicksal Headquarters, calmly watching it all unfold—suddenly found the smile on his face frozen in place.
From Otto's perspective, the ultimate aim of this entire incident was quite simple: deliver the Tranquil Gem to the current Kiana, paving the way for her next awakening. Whether or not Lion City might be destroyed by Honkai, courtesy of Cocolia's schemes, didn't matter to him at all.
In theory, everything was under his control—until Mebius appeared, completely outside his expectations, and even turned up in the very room that supposedly belonged to Walter and Dr. Makki.
The Thirteen Flame-Chasers of the previous civilization: perhaps others in the present world knew little of them, but Schicksal was different. Through years of excavating relics from the previous civilization and scouring the data therein, Otto had pieced together most of what he needed to know about the Thirteen Flame-Chasers of the MOTHs.
Precisely because of that, Otto's expression soured. In his eyes, among those Thirteen, Mebius was the single most problematic individual. If it were any other Flame-Chaser suddenly appearing, Otto wouldn't be nearly so unnerved.
He had contingency plans for dealing with them: with those who were good-natured, he had one approach; with those who would stop at nothing to fight Honkai, he had another. Case in point: soon after Kevin escaped from the Quantum Sea, Otto managed to strike a deal with him.
But Mebius was the lone anomaly—Otto had no confidence in winning her over.
"Amber, have Durandal bring the Immortal Blades to Lion City right away."
After a brief silence, Otto decisively gave his order. While Mebius alarmed him, there was no way he would allow anyone to derail his plan. Not Mebius, not even the so-called "Honkai God."
"So Mebius's name alone has that much clout, to spook Fu Hua like this—looks like you're bullying the honest type. I feel a bit bad."
Watching Fu Hua's reaction upon seeing Mebius, Daniel Davis couldn't help laughing. This Mebius, of course, wasn't truly Mebius, but an illusion he had synthesized with full-hologram projection—cribbed from the same principle used by the Snake Eyes leader Rita when she'd met Bronny.
But this tactic only worked so effectively on Fu Hua. Had it been any other of the Thirteen, it wouldn't have gone over the same way. In short, Fu Hua was simply too straightforward.
No matter whether in the previous civilization or in this one, Fu Hua never changed much. Hence, she was often taken advantage of. In the previous civilization, Dr. Mei had repeatedly let Fu Hua enter near-death states—whether it was the Super Variable Factor or the Xuanyuan Sword, or the Divine Sound system. It was typically only Fu Hua's luck that she survived. Even among the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, Fu Hua arguably brushed with certain death more than Kevin ever did.
Mebius was no exception. Right now, it was Otto's turn. If Fu Hua had been just a bit more cunning, Otto's plans wouldn't have come so easily. Swap Fu Hua for any other Flame-Chaser, and he wouldn't be able to manipulate the situation so neatly.
"Mebius, what are you trying to do? Don't cause trouble in this era," Fu Hua said, regarding Mebius warily.
Fu Hua knew Mebius all too well. If Mebius were left to her own devices, the disasters she might instigate wouldn't be any less grave than the Honkai itself. Especially during the final years of the previous civilization, Mebius had proposed ideas that even the pitiless Dr. Mei supposedly couldn't bring herself to accept.
"Fu Hua, we haven't met for so long, and that's the greeting I get? I'm actually here to help you this time. Without me, this city would've fallen to the Honkai. That Cocolia of Anti-Entropy planned to use the Ruler Gem to cultivate a new Ruler in this city, just like what she pulled in Changkong City a few years back."
"Tell me your real objective, Mebius."
Fu Hua wasn't swayed. Based on her understanding of Mebius, if an event like that were imminent, Mebius wouldn't rush to stop it. She'd stand back and watch, or even add fuel to the fire.
"What's my purpose? Fu Hua, don't you find the present era's Rulers fascinating? The First Ruler stands on humanity's side. If, back in our day, we'd tried communicating with a Ruler instead of attacking on sight, would the outcome have been different? It's a pity Dr. Mei—"
"Enough, Mebius. That era was different," Fu Hua interjected, cutting her off midsentence.
"Different, you say. Perhaps so. Fine then, Fu Hua—no need to glare at me so intently. Relax. I won't do anything to this era for now; I simply wish to observe what makes it different."
Mebius shifted in her seat and continued: "Fu Hua, you look seriously injured. Want me to fix you up?"
"No."
Fu Hua refused without hesitation. If it wasn't strictly necessary, no one in their right mind would ever go near Mebius's operating table. Fu Hua might be straightforward, but she wasn't stupid. Back in the previous civilization, there was simply no alternative—she had no choice but to endure Mebius's so-called "procedures." Part of her had even wished for a quiet, permanent rest, but ironically fate had refused to cooperate.
"Fu Hua, I'm genuinely trying to help you this time. Not many of our old friends remain in this era. I don't want anything to happen to you. Kevin's trapped in the Quantum Sea by Su, so he won't be popping out any time soon. And poor Su—how pitiful, roped into an endless game of chess by that old codger. Who knows when that'll end."
In the Honkai world, many secrets remain hidden. Setting aside the Honkai God, that old one who dragged Su into an eternal chess match was likewise an enigmatic figure. And one might suspect that some "Maintainer of Heavenly Principles" was lingering within some branch of the Imaginary Tree.
"Looks like you really don't want to see me, so let's leave it at that. Anyway, my goals have already been met. Do say hello to your dear Overseer from me. Until next time, Fu Hua."
Observing Fu Hua's stoic demeanor, Daniel Davis decided that was enough and shut down the hologram, causing Mebius to vanish from Fu Hua's sight.
"Mebius… I wonder if she's really gone."
Characters like Mebius are notoriously slippery. Even if her memory in the Elysian Realm claimed that Mebius had been backstabbed by her own memory clone and perished, Daniel Davis deeply doubted that outcome. Mebius was, after all, Mebius.
Who could guarantee she hadn't discovered the memory clone's betrayal, feigned her death, and snuck away, quietly observing the memory clone's scheming from the sidelines?
As for why Mebius hadn't surfaced in all these years, Daniel Davis wasn't Mebius—he had no way of knowing. Perhaps she'd left this world for another parallel reality, or a world bubble, or embarked on some "cycle plan" or advanced state.
"Durandal, Rita, plus the entire Immortal Blade? Otto really does take Mebius seriously, doesn't he. Then let them search to their hearts' content. If they manage to find her, I might even be thankful."
Watching Durandal's forces seal off the entire Queen Hotel, Daniel Davis knew his gambit had paid off. He'd drawn Otto's attention squarely onto Mebius, buying St. Freya Academy some precious breathing room.
"That's… Siegfei."
While Daniel Davis kept an eye on Durandal, someone else was also monitoring the scene. At the sight of him, Daniel Davis recognized him instantly—the face matched the wanted posters from Schicksal, though unfortunately there was no reward attached.
"Dr. Tesla, something's not right. Otto's Immortal Blades have arrived," Siegfei murmured, observing Durandal's group while quietly reporting to the two doctors at Anti-Entropy.
"I see… Then come back, Siegfei. With them there, no matter what Cocolia's planning, she won't succeed," Einstein swiftly instructed on the other end of the line.
"Alright," Siegfei replied, then ended the call. Still, he did not leave immediately. He circled back on his motorcycle for one last glimpse of Kiana.
Siegfei remained haunted by regrets over leaving Kiana all alone as a child. Years later, after enlisting Anti-Entropy's help and learning about all she had endured, he felt even more ashamed, never daring to face her. The longer the delay, the worse his guilt grew, creating a vicious cycle.
Out on the highway beyond Lion City, Siegfei sped along an empty stretch. From time to time, he let out a deep roar.
One key reason he couldn't bring himself to face Kiana now was that whenever he saw her, he was reminded of the true Kiana. Though he knew in his heart it wasn't her fault, he couldn't help feeling he had failed Cecilia, that he hadn't taken proper care of her daughter.
As Siegfei once again howled into the wind, a massive golden portal abruptly opened ahead. The sudden change made him brake at once, but seeing that he couldn't stop in time, he leapt off his motorcycle, letting the bike hurtle into the golden portal.
"Your reflexes are quick."
Daniel Davis had intended to pull Siegfei into the Mirror Space, but seeing him jump free of the bike, he stepped out of the Mirror Space with a sigh, dragging the motorcycle out behind him.
"Who are you?"
Spotting Daniel Davis's sudden appearance, Siegfei instantly aimed the Heavenly Fire Judgment at him.
"Who I am doesn't matter. The real question is why you don't dare to see Kiana. You left her to wander the world alone from such a young age."
"That's none of your concern. Who are you, and how do you know about it?"
Siegfei's voice quavered in pain at Daniel Davis's words, but he swiftly composed himself.
"I know a lot of things, Siegfei. Let me tell you something—listen carefully. The real Kiana Kaslana is still alive."
Daniel Davis felt Siegfei was a good man, so upon meeting him, Davis didn't mind alleviating one of his greatest burdens.
"What did you say? Kiana… she's alive?"
For Siegfei, Daniel Davis's words were earth-shattering. His whole body trembled, and he nearly dropped the Heavenly Fire Judgment. At that moment, he cared not about the Divine Key in his hand.
"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you where she is right now. You only need to know that the real Kiana's still alive and well."
As Daniel Davis spoke, a golden portal opened behind him. He disappeared into it in an instant, vanishing before Siegfei's eyes.
"Wait! Tell me where Kiana is—!"
Reaching out, Siegfei wanted to catch Davis, but Davis had already gone.
"Kiana… Kiana…"
Collapsing to his knees, Siegfei clutched at empty air, repeating her name over and over. After a moment, as if recalling something, he scrambled for his phone.
"I'm sorry, Siegfei. It's not yet time for you to know the real Kiana's identity. Of course, if you're clever, maybe you can figure it out on your own," Daniel Davis mused.
In truth, it involved too many factors. Even later, when Durandal learned her own origins, she didn't announce it right away. The timing just wasn't right. It could easily turn a good situation into a bad one—especially for the current Kiana.
"So… where is this place? Rita, you work for Schicksal, you—!"
When Dr. Makki woke up, he spotted Daniel Davis and a woman who looked identical to Rita, and realized he'd been deceived. Furious, he attempted to lunge at Daniel Davis.
"Calm down, Doctor. This isn't Schicksal. We aren't even in that same world anymore; we're in a world bubble. I assume you know about world bubbles."
"A world bubble?"
"That's right."
After taking a short helicopter ride around this bubble, Dr. Makki finally believed they really weren't in the old world. Moreover, the Rita here wasn't Schicksal's Rita at all.
"Doctor, I'm aware of your situation. Whatever choice you make, I hope you can continue perfecting the Honkai Neutralizing Serum."
"Understood."
Having agreed to Daniel Davis's proposal, Dr. Makki was handed over to Rita to be set up here. Meanwhile, Daniel Davis himself was busy studying the Tranquil Gem.
"So Black Abyss White Flower must have been forged using the Tranquil Gem. Come to think of it, Mebius apparently opposed Dr. Mei turning a Ruler core into a Divine Key."
Mebius's philosophy was to use a Ruler core to create a living Ruler who'd stand with humanity; a living ally would be far more valuable than a mere weapon.
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